Three senior appointments have been announced across the UK property sector, including a 25-year veteran promoted to sales director and a former Savills executive joining a Forbes-affiliated firm.
Romans promotes internal candidate
Jonathan Hawthorne has been appointed sales director at Romans, part of the LRG group, after spending 25 years with the Thames Valley-based estate agency. Hawthorne joined Romans in 2001 as a trainee sales adviser and has held various senior positions, including manager of the Bracknell office from 2014 and most recently regional sales director.
In his new role, Hawthorne will oversee sales operations across Romans’ 27 offices, which operate predominantly in the Thames Valley region. Kevin Shaw, national sales managing director at LRG, said: “After more than 25 years with Romans, there can be few people who know our business as well as Jonathan.”
Former Savills executive joins Forbes affiliate
Charles Lloyd, who previously headed Savills’ Mayfair operation, has joined UK Forbes Global Properties as a founder partner. Lloyd brings nearly 40 years of experience in the prime residential market and will focus on buyers and sellers across Prime Central London and the Home Counties.
Lloyd spent 14 years at Savills, where he established the Mayfair and St James’s operation and helped launch the firm’s Marylebone office. He subsequently joined CBRE as senior director and co-founded its Private Office before establishing Charles Lloyd Real Estate in 2025. The appointment comes as estate agents adapt their services to meet changing market conditions.
Martin Bikhit, founder and CEO of UK Forbes Global Properties, said: “Charles has an exceptional pedigree. He has led significant businesses, handled some remarkable transactions and built trusted relationships over decades.”
ESTAS appoints new executive director
The ESTAS has appointed Amy Bibiris as executive director ahead of its 23rd annual awards ceremony scheduled for 16 October in London. Bibiris joins from Smart Compliance, where she served as commercial director, and brings over 20 years of property industry experience spanning estate agency and proptech.
Bibiris began her property career at Romans in 2004, becoming the company’s first female branch manager, before spending four years at Davis Tate. She moved into property technology in 2019. She has also served on the board of Women in Estate Agency and works with Agents Together as a mentor.
Simon Brown, founder of ESTAS, said: “Amy understands this industry from every side, because she’s worked in nearly all of it. She knows what great service takes, and she knows what it means to the people delivering it.”
The appointments reflect ongoing personnel movements within the UK estate agency sector as firms position themselves for changing market conditions.
